William Haywood (architect)

Haywood produced many schemes for replanning the city, and published his ideas in The Development of Birmingham (1918), which included improvements to New Street station, a grand "People’s Hall" located close to where the Central Fire Station now stands, pleasure grounds and Zoological Gardens around Edgbaston Reservoir and various grand approaches to the major civic buildings in the city.

As a result of his book, Sir Oliver Lodge invited him to take the University Special Lectureship on Town Planning, which he held for 25 years.

However, perhaps one of the most widely popular of his endeavours was the citywide decorations for the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and centenary of the Charter of Birmingham the following year in 1938.

Professor Thomas Bodkin (First Director of the Barber Institute of Fine Arts) wrote in 1937 that "the decorations of the municipal buildings and the principal streets of the city were considered to be the best of their kind in England" and in his preface to the souvenir booklet, Dr Bodkin, stated: "A decision to co-operate in a comprehensive scheme, to be planned and put into execution by a single professional expert, was soon unanimously adopted.

He also made further directions: 1) that all of his private papers be burned; 2) he bequeathed to his housekeeper, Alice Higgins, the sum of £1,000 and the choice of one of his pets; 3) to the Lord Mayor, Alderman and the citizens of Birmingham, his bronze "Solglitter" by Carl Milles, for display in the Museum & Art Gallery; 4) the remainder of his estate, which was valued at £24,180:18:6 (£566,253 in 2018), to be transferred to the University of Birmingham for the setting up of the "Haywood Scholarship", which exists today within the College of Arts and Law as the Haywood Doctoral Scholarship.

At that time the chairman of the society announced the inauguration of the William Haywood Prize for exceptional architectural or planning contribution to the City of Birmingham.

William Haywood
Haywood's design for the Booking Hall at New Street Station.
The Scout memorial
Gate Piers to 245 Bristol Road, the entrance to Haywood's own home.
Haywood's executed design for the North Entrance of Birmingham University .
Rain-hoppers, cast in lead by Henry Hope & Sons, of Smethwick, from designs by William Haywood
A group of people at the laying the Foundation Stone at The Royal Hospital School, Holkham, Suffolk (1924). The architect William Haywood is shown, along with the Duke of York.
Haywood's design for Municipal Buildings in Broad Street, Birmingham.
A Blue Plaque to commemorate the first Secretary of The Birmingham Civic Society